Ayer Shirley Regional School District

2011 – 2012

ASHS School StoreASHS School Store is a school store in which general school supplies are sold or donated to students who need them, and offers school mascot Memorabilia/apparel on sale to raise both money and school spirit.

2012 – 2013

Archery ClubWith the growing popularity of The Hunger Games and other media promoting arrow-wielding heroines, it’s no surprise that these bow-slingers are excited to start a club that goes beyond the standard sports and after school activities typically offered to high school students. Aside from looking fierce, these students aim to better their knowledge of geometry and physics as well as improve their manual dexterity as they master the sport.

H.T.K.S.I.STired of their school never having the supplies they need, these students are determined to purchase school supplies for their classes and peers. Are school supplies getting too expensive? Stop by their tables set up during lunch and purchase items such as pens, pencils, lined paper, and binders for cheaper rates!

2013 – 2014

ASRHS Model UNASRHS Model UN will be starting the first Model UN at the school inspiring students to become better speakers, writers, debaters and possibly our future ambassadors! These Venturers look forward to taking this club to the next level of competition, testing their skills against other Model UN clubs across the state as they become a new component to the ASRHS community.

SCORE!SCORE! will be uniting the students to raise money for desperately needed sports supplies and a new school scoreboard. They hope to bring the school community together by creating not just a stronger pride of being a part of the school sports program, but making the whole Ayer-Shirley community proud of their school.

Activity Skill Building Group (ASBG)ASBG will be new mentors to Page Hilltop Elementary students helping teach them the arts! This group of dedicated individuals will not only encourage students to enjoy the arts in a time where many such programs are being cut, but also help these students as they prepare for their time a middle and high school.

2015 – 2016

Help Our Mother Earth (HOME)Disappointed by the current state of the food selection at their school, the girls of HOME decided to take action to try and build and manage the first ever community garden at ASRHS. It is their hope that the team can not only use this garden to develop health alternatives for students at lunchtime, but that they can also use the garden to educate their fellow classmates on how to be environmentally sustainable and healthy. They will be raising money for this garden through organic bake sales and fun competitions which will also raise awareness to how to be healthier.

The Good SamaritansInspired during one of their class lessons that centered on the terrible wake of destruction that was left after the earthquake in 2010 in Haiti, the girls of the Good Samaritans took it upon themselves to help those families in need. Understanding how privileged they are to have access to all the school supplies they want, the Team decided to help the youth of Haiti by raising donations of school supplies and backpacks to ensure that these kids have what is needed to get an education. They also hope to raise enough money to support a service trip to Haiti where they can deliver these goods firsthand and volunteer with the local schools.

The Pong ClubWishing that students had more opportunities for after school athletic opportunities for those that did not enjoy the usual team sports, the members of this Venture Team decided to create an ASRHS ping pong club. This club will not only attract a lot of students who would otherwise be off playing video games, but it will help students develop essential hand-eye coordination skills and create a sense of comradery outside of the usual team activities. It is the hope of the team to build up the club to a point where the students can compete at tournaments around the state and nation.

Teams Launched to Date:

2003 – 2004

Shirley BakesThis Venture Team makes baked goods and sells them in the Shirley community at various community events. All profits are donated to organizations within the school and the town of Shirley.

Shirley School StoreShirley Middle School now has a school store that not only provides students with the supplies they need, they also donate a portion of their profits to charity.

2004 – 2005

Energy Through Creativity (E.T.C.)Noticing a lack of activities for younger students after school, this group of middle school girls that love to dance started this Venture Team. They hold after-school dance classes for 4th grade girls at the elementary school. At the end of the school year they invite parents and community members to a recital where the 4th graders show all that they have learned.

Good SportThis Venture Team raises money through sports tournaments for students. They raise money by selling refreshments and donated sports equipment. All money raised is used to replace damaged text books at the middle school.

Kids at PlayThis Venture Team provides after-school activities, such as arts and crafts for elementary students.

SAFEThis Venture Team provides fun after school entertainment for all, by playing movies and holding other after school activities. This gives people both young and old a place to go and share in activities together

2005 – 2006

Charity GardenWith a passion and skill for gardening this group of middle school boys planted a community vegetable garden. All of the vegetables that are grown are donated to the local food bank.

Fix It Up Wrap It UpThis Venture Team sews clothing items which are donated to local charities and sold to raise money for local charities.

Shirley Arts for All (SAFA)This Venture Team started a scholarship fund for the Shirley Arts Program. The Team sells hot dogs and refreshments at school and community events to raise money for the fund.

SMS Literary MagazineWith many talented students within the middle school, this Venture Team decided to create a literary magazine for the school where students can submit written work. The magazine is published and shared with the school and the community.

2006 – 2007

Project SwimThe Project Swim team will help the community by giving kids something to do in the summer. Being a part of the Shirley Swim Team will give kids from Shirley and the surrounding towns a place and time to exercise and be healthy.

Skaters of Shirley (S.O.S.)Recognizing the need for a safe place to practice their favorite activity, and using several fundraising strategies, the team will begin to create a community skate park at Benjamin Hill Park in Shirley. The members of this team include young people from Shirley and the surrounding communities, and attend several different schools.

The Rolled Up NewspaperThe Rolled-Up Newspaper Team will work with elementary students to create and write a newspaper for the students at Lura A. White Elementary School. The newspaper will educate and inform the school and greater Shirley community of the goings-on of the school.

2007 – 2008

Food DudesFood Dudes was created to hold year round canned food drives to give directly back to Loaves and Fishes, a food pantry that many in the community depend on.

Supplies for GoodDue to district wide budget cuts, teachers in Shirley have resorted to purchasing classroom school supplies out of their own pockets. In order to support the teachers and students of Shirley Middle School this team was created to fundraise year round and fill the financial gap. They will give back to not only their school but their community at large.

TRUN2T.R.U.N. 2 is a middle school newspaper for the students by the students. The students that make up this team were originally junior members of T.R.U.N. who were so empowered that they decided to evolve their venture into a more mature and very necessary middle school newspaper that they themselves will write, produce, publish and fundraise to sustain

2008 – 2009

Group 5 Group 5 mobilized the entire school to get behind a school fundraiser to upgrade the equipment in Shirley Middle School’s technical-education department, by establishing the first Fun Day Extravaganza to support their efforts. They are looking forward to replicating the event next year to continue to better the school’s technical-education department.

Intramural Volleyball TeamThis team plans to create an intramural volleyball team, offering lessons to train students at the middle school in the sport of volleyball so that when they arrive at the high school they are prepared to try out for the volleyball team there. The team is providing students with an avenue to partake in an after-school activity not offered by the school, as well as an opportunity for fellowship.

Shirley School MascotThis group presented a School Mascot to Shirley Middle School and aimed to grow school spirit in the coming years.

Sports DudesThis team intends to purchase new playground equipment for use by the entire school body, promoting physical fitness and active play school-wide.

2009 – 2010

Arthritis FightersThis Venture was developed due to one Venturers illness, Childhood Arthritis. They have been operating for three years on their own by making and selling handmade jewelry and in 2010 officially launched a Venture. The students aim to promote awareness of childhood arthritis and to donate money to foundations to help find a cure for the disease.

Handy HelpersAffected by the many serious cases of swine flu around America during the 09-10 school year, this Venture aims to prevent illness in their school by installing hand sanitizing stations. They hope to speak to the school body to inform them of the importance of washing your hands, proper technique and that by doing this they can prevent the spread of many infections and diseases.

Krafty KidzThis Venture Team, desperate for more projects to do in art class, do fundraisers to help pay for more art supplies in their classroom. With the funding being cut in many school districts, that get rid of the arts, the Shirley Art program relies mostly on the Art Teacher spending money out of her own pocket as well as a bare bones classroom, with few golf pencils to last the full year. This venture hopes to keep this from happening, and so they may be able to even have an art show during the year that students are able to participate in.

Lego ClubThree students from the Shirley Middle Schools fifth grade started a club for students who don’t want to join sports teams to make friends and have fun after school. Instead of sports (some of the only after school activities) the students in this club build with Lego’s and are able to compete in Saturday Lego building competitions held so that students younger than middle school age, can participate as well.

UndercoverAffected by the 2008 ice storm in North Central Massachusetts, these students collect coats year round for families who cannot afford to keep warm during the winter. After these coats are collected, they are then taken to Anton’s Cleaners, who donates their services and cleans the coats before they are given out to the community. Students plan to hold coat drives year round, that run very similar to food drives. Their first drive was a tremendous success where they collected 85 coats in 3 weeks.

2010 – 2011

ASMS FootballAyer-Shirley Middle School Football Venture was founded after a group of boys recognized the need for a semi-competitive football team at their middle school. Currently, the only fall sport that is offered at Ayer-Shirley Middle School is soccer, with 430 students who attend ASMS, soccer allows only 36 students with the opportunity to participate. Members of the ASMS Venture would not only love the opportunity to play football, but have also acknowledged the need to bring two communitues together, Ayer and Shirley, as this is their first year of regionalization.

Basketball HoopstersIn an effort to make basketball more accessible, these students will have fundraisers to install basketball hoops at the local elementary school. Currently, if students want to play at the local middle school after school hours, they have to pay to join the after-school program. This Venture hopes that through their Venture, more young people will have a positive outlet and lead healthier lives.

Breast Cancer AwarenessThe Breast Cancer Awareness Youth Venture team founded their idea after supporting their own family members in the fight against breast cancer. Through this difficult journey, they recognized their desire to educate others about this disease, which affects approximately 1 in 8 women in the United States alone (BreastCancer.org). Venturers from Breast Cancer Awareness will host their own booth at a popular local event, The Shirley Hoe Down, with information to educate community members about breast cancer as well as present an array of their own products, including t-shirts and homemade jewelry, with proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Computer KidzAfter an active Peace Corps volunteer visited Ayer-Shirley Middle school, explaining the lack of available technology in the Panamanian city he is currently serving, young people from Ayer-Shirley Middle School decided they wanted to help. However, they also acknowledged that their own technology at the middle school is lacking ,therefore deciding that they would like to ultimately help both their own technology department as well as a this particular city in Panama—possibly donating their middle school’s old computers!??! Computer Kidz Youth Venture team

Fun & Fit FriendsThis dynamic group of Venturers want to encourage the next generation of young people to be fit and healthy—using fun, innovative ways to stay active and eat right. Fun & Fit Friends Youth Venture wants to educate their peers on how to eat well—not forgetting about taste. For instance, this Venture team presented the idea of making their own homemade oh-so-good-for-you fruit smoothies! Further, Fun and Fit Friends would like to purchase tetherballs, jump ropes, hula hoops, four squares, and other games to make exercise a lot more fun for their fellow peers at Ayer-Shirley Middle School

Hugs for HomelessThe “Hugs for Homeless” Venture was founded after its members recognized how the current U.S. economy is affecting our communities, leaving people out of work and families in need of support. Consequently, they acknowledged the need to help their local homeless shelters. Hugs for Homeless will hold two fundraisers each month and give a portion of their earnings to a homeless shelter. Ultimately, this Youth Venture intends to focus on a different shelter each month, ensuring that their services are available to many different shelters throughout Massachusetts.

Monthly Movie GroupWith the rising costs of movie tickets and concession items, forcing many families to stay at home rather than going to the movie theater, a group of young people from Ayer-Shirley middle school came up with a solution: host a movie night on their school’s big screen! Viola! A Monthly Movie Youth Venture is born! This Venture team plans to simply charge movie-goers for refreshments and after purchasing a movie license, are able to show movies for free. Moreover, as two middle schools, Ayer and Shirley, have recently combined, this movie night gives students and parents a great opportunity to meet regularly for a family-friendly event, forming a more close-knit Ayer-Shirley community

Paws & ClawsAs animal lovers, this group of young middle school students wants to help the ASPCA and local animal shelters. They plan to collect gently used bedding to offer additional comfort to animals in shelters, hold fundraisers to financial support local organizations and create posters and brochures to spread awareness.

Pops Fur PupsMembers of Pops Fur Pups were inspired to create their Venture after discovering the alarming number of animals which are euthanized in our local animal shelters. Pops Fur Pups would like to raise awareness of this problem, as well as other issues that our local animal shelters face, including overcrowding and low adoption rates. Ultimately, Pops Fur Pups would like to advocate for our furry friends through public awareness, hoping to inspire others to adopt from their local animal shelters, as well as raise money for the Sterling Animal Shelter, selling baked goods and crafts, particularly their scrumptious homemade dog treats.

The PaintersTired of seeing chipped paint and graffiti cover their school walls, this group of students wants to repaint their school. They hope that by doing this, it will amplify student pride and offer interested students a positive and artistic outlet.

2011 – 2012

Blue CrewPairing up to take on a big issue, Shannon and Deanna are taking central Massachusetts by storm from their Ayer Shirley Middle School. Both with strong ties to developmental differences, Shannon’s brother Liam has autism, and Deanna learned from her cousin’s experiences in the health field at a young age the importance of de-stigmatizing differences, and encouraging people to pay attention to things they can do about improving the lives of those with differences. Buy selling blue light bulbs for people to use in awareness of autism and selling puzzle piece shaped baked goods, Shannon and Deanna’s goal of having Shirley and Ayer “Light up Blue” municipal buildings around town will truly shine a light on the cause of autism.

Dia-HelpersShelby knows what it’s like to live with juvenile diabetes, and lives her life as fully as anyone else- and wants you to know about it! Along with her friend Sarah, these two middle school students from Ayer and Shirley are setting out to help other young people with diabetes by raising money to send a student with juvenile diabetes to the JDRF summer camp that Shelby has attended. To give back and show her appreciation for being able to make friends with other youth with diabetes, Dia-Helpers intends to use sugar-free bake sales and hosting Dance-a-thons at their middle school to drum up interest, provide the funding, and keep their venture going and growing.

French CaféBonjour! The French Café Venture Team from Ayer Shirley Middle School is excited to share French culture with their classmates and those of visiting schools by providing after-school snacks of the French variety to students that stay after school and for visiting school sports teams and friends that visit their campus. Keith, Erin, Charlie, and Yesid, all take French class together, and while the French classes are much smaller than the Spanish language classes offered, they want to expand the influence of French culture throughout their middle school to make sure that a variety of language classes continues to be offered. Yesid, already fluent in Spanish, takes French and enjoys learning other languages and about the cultures they come from. With the profits from their French Café, these Venturers hope to keep their Venture sustainable through purchasing more supplies, and using the profits to purchase French cultural learning tools and posters to utilize in their academic classes.

LISThis Venture plans to create an Independent Study Program at the school for students who want to learn languages other than the two offered already (Spanish and French), or for students who learn better as an independent student. The Venture team will do this through Rosetta Stone software.

One Mic, Many VoicesMembers of this Venture team plan to raise funds to create a recording studio for their school.

Roots and ShootsI bet you’ve thought about adopting a cat or dog, but have you ever thought about ZOO-doption? Roots and Shoots Venture Team has! Nadia, Josh, and Alicia are the founding members of Ayer Roots and Shoots, a Venture Team that plans to raise awareness about the importance of rainforest protection and animal habitats and ecosystems. With self-designed t-shirts encouraging people to ‘swing into action’, Roots and Shoots will use the profits of their Venture to remain self-sustaining, while also donating money to the Jane Goodall Foundation to protect chimpanzees and gorillas in Gombe, Tanzania. Closer to their homes in central Massachusetts, Roots and Shoots will also expand their education of zoology and wild animal care by adopting an animal at the Franklin Park Zoo, and help everyone understand how even though it seems like a big planet, each creature deserves its own place to call home without infringement or harm from humans.

Save Shirley SportsThis group of young people wants have radar gun pitching contests in order to raise money for the Shirley Recreation Softball and Baseball program, after all of their sporting equipment was stolen.

The ForestersFashion forward as well as forward-thinking, Sydney and Isabella decided to combine their interest in fashion and forests to start their Venture Team, The Foresters. By hosting fashion shows, auctioning off the apparel worn during the shows, and using their creative designer skills to make animal print duct tape jewelry and accessories, they plan to make their Venture on-going, with several shows a year, involving community members and peers as models and judges. Beyond keeping their Venture sustainable, keeping the rainforest habitats sustainable is their major focus, with proceeds benefitting the organization, Rainforest Foundation US.

Throw Away Breast CancerNicole and her two friends, Desiree and Molly, started the Throw Away Breast Cancer Venture Team after her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. The diagnosis had a major effect on Nicole’s family. Throw Away Breast Cancer Venturers aim to raise awareness and collect donations to help patients receive treatments at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA. Venturers will acquire their donations for Brigham and Women’s by picking up trash and upcycling it into goods that can be sold for a profit, including bottle cap magnets. They also plan to collect cans, bottles, and other recyclables to redeem into funds to Throw Away Breast Cancer for good!

2012 – 2013

Animal BlanketsKylie and Nadia noticed that their local animal shelters were constantly posting ads that stressed a need for bedding. Youth participating in Animal Blankets plan to leave large bins all over their school and community and make posters that ask for blanket donations. The blankets will be brought to a number of animal shelters throughout Ayer and Shirley, giving the animals-in-need a comfortable environment until they are adopted into their forever homes.

Animal PeopleAnimal People noticed that the Fitchburg Animal Shelter was severely lacking in cleaning supplies, proper bedding, food and housing for the high number of dogs that are surrendered to the facility each year. To help the shelter, these students aim to raise money through school supplies sales (pencils, pens, erasers, and more) and will donate their proceeds to provide all of these necessities to a canine in need.

Brown Bag FridayBrown Bag Friday was inspired by another Venture team in Leominster that served elementary school students bagged lunches on the weekend, so the team decided to create a bagged lunch project of their own. The team plans to keep the identity of their recipients anonymous if possible while still being able to provide meals to students whose families are struggling with providing adequate food for the weekend. They plan to sell bracelets to fundraise and seek sponsorship from local food banks and grocers. Eventually, the team would like to expand their efforts to not just bagged lunches, but also backpacks, school supplies and clothing.

Cancer Helping HandsNoelle and Collin both know family and friends that have been affected in some way by cancer. In light of these experiences, they created Cancer Helping Hands so they may make a difference to fellow community members whose families and friends have either become a victim or a survivor of the disease. The team would like to raise awareness of all types of cancer, and raise money toward a number of cancer research organizations.

Green Recycling TeamMembers of Green Recycling recognize that being green isn’t always easy. To make cleaner living more accessible to fellow students, the team would first like to further their school’s recycling initiatives by purchasing large recycling bins. Furthermore, they would also like to extend their green services toward cleaning up local parks and roads, and eventually initiate a large highway cleanup initiative.

Heart StrongAfter a student’s mother witnessed a patient die in a hospital from a chest injury due to having no access to defibrillators at the time of the injury, Heart Strong decided their community needs better access to these life-saving devices. Through bake sales, car washes, and other school-related fundraising activities, the team would like to raise money to purchase defibrillators for all the local schools and sporting areas. In addition to this, they hope to hold classes that teach people how to use the defibrillators so they may save lives in the future.

Live to HelpBrianna and Noelle were particularly touched after watching a film in social studies class about African citizens being held in refugee war camps. Putting their crafting skills to good use, Live To Help will be making upcycled bags out of old denim and other materials and sell them, with proceeds going toward these African refugee camps.

Pretee’s PlantsPretee noticed that at her school there were a number of plants in the library and classrooms that were not getting watered as frequently as they should. Taking it upon herself to beautify her space, she decided to start a plant-watering project with proper watering cans to ensure each plant is healthy and thriving. In addition to watering, Pretee hopes to raise money to add more plants, shrubs and flowers to the school as a long-term beautifying project.

Quacker ArtsTired of the “conventional” duct tape creations? Quacker Arts has taken duct tape to a whole new level! Zebra print, hounds-tooth, camouflage and glow-in-the-dark – there are no limits to the colors and designs this team comes up with on a daily basis. Quacker Arts makes wallets, bracelets, and other neon knick-knacks and sells them at school functions and during lunch, with proceeds going towards purchasing cows for families in Africa.

RC CarsAs a radio control car enthusiast, Austin wanted to use his passion to help his fellow students in a new and innovative way. Austin came up with the idea to create an RC car club, initially aimed specifically for students with autism. By using RC cars, Austin knew from his own personal experience that it helped him improve his fine motor skills and also gain a better appreciation for the intricate workings of the vehicle. With this newly-found knowledge, Austin presented his idea to his class and cannot wait to use RC vehicles to promote turn-taking, sharing and fine motor skills. Austin’s club has piqued the interest of a local hobby shop, whose owners gladly plan to let the group use their RC vehicle race tracks, as well as provide free car rentals, discounts on parts, and more.

Save the SeaAfter researching animals native to the Massachusetts Maritimes, members of Save the Sea felt it their duty to protect these special oceanic creatures. Through various types of school fundraisers, Save the Sea would like to raise money and give their proceeds to marine life conservation areas, specifically the National Marine Life Center, located in Bourne, MA. In addition to fundraising, Save the Sea plans to raise awareness of the effects of littering and pollution on marine life, and how every resident of Massachusetts can do their part to keep endangered marine wildlife from becoming extinct.

Shelter HelpersSterling Animal Shelter has been an invaluable resource for central Massachusetts residents; whether surrendering or adopting, visitors of the shelter know they can depend on the facility to take care of an animal in need. Shelter helpers learned that the Sterling Shelter was in need of any help they could get – from food donations to building extra kennels, they could use it all! In light of this information, Shelter Helpers is on its way toward raising money through a number of fundraisers so that they may assist this animal lover’s hub with getting all of their necessities.

Stuffed PalsWilliam noted that the last time he visited a hospital, he felt uneasy and homesick. With this mindset, he decided he wanted to create a team that could help other children feel more at home and comfortable in a hospital setting. To do this, Stuffed Pals will donate teddy bears to children’s wards at local hospitals for patients who may need that extra touch of tenderness. In addition to donating bears, William plans to sell other stuffed animals, with the proceeds going towards local hospitals.

The CastawaysThe Castaways identified bullying as a problem across every clique and social circle in their school. Rather than remain silent, these three students have chosen to stand up to bullying and would like to adopt the anti-bullying techniques of Rachel’s Challenge, a Venture team launched at Leominster High School. In order to do this, they plan to provide workshops and presentations to educate their school not just about what bullying is, but how it directly affects their friends and what every member of their school can do to put an end to it.

Three-D Game DesignAndrew and Michael wanted to join an after-school club, but realized that there were not a lot of options beyond the usual sports. As two technology junkies, they choose to create their own club that would allow fellow computer and video game fans to have a place to go after school. In 3D Game Design, members have the ability to not just play video games, but create their own! With the help of Andrew and Michael, those involved will learn the step-by-step process of making a video game from scratch and, at the end of their second session, will be able to take their game and play it at home. Jesse Johnson, video game developer for the widely-acclaimed BioShock, served on 3D Game Design’s panel and was so inspired by their idea, he insisted on donating a second computer to their club to help further their success.

Yard Sale for Leukemia ResearchThe team members of Yard Sale for Leukemia Research have taken the concept of “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure” to a whole new level! After one of the member’s nephew passed away from leukemia, she decided to host a yard sale, with all proceeds going toward leukemia research. By donating unwanted items to the sale and purchasing new-found treasures, community members will help the team with making a difference in patients’ lives in the future.

2014 – 2015

Blue Crew 2The Venture Team Blue Crew 2 wants to “Light the World Up Blue” and raise awareness for children with Autism. By selling blue light bulbs, doing an annual raffle to a Blue Man Group show, and doing other blue related fundraisers, this team hopes to raise funds to donate to the HMEA organization whose mission is to promote the values, dreams and potential of people with developmental disabilities through education, support and life experiences.

Coding ClubHelping prepare for the digital future, The Coding Club plans to have an after school program which allows kids to learn basic computer coding and programming skills. Using their own expertise in technology, these students will teach both students and adults alike understand what goes into processing our day to day technology today. By teaching about coding, this team will help students learn how to find solutions for problems, build confidence to tackle future problems, teach creativity, and gain valuable skills that they can apply in any future career.

Cure for Crohn’sWith several family members and friends who have been affected by this disease, the members of Cure for Crohn’s wanted to make a difference and show their love for them by starting a Venture. The team is planning on hosting an annual “Color Run” to help spread awareness and communicate the need to help such a debilitating disease. They plan to donate all their proceeds to Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) who mission is to improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by these diseases.

Helping HandsAfter hearing stories about foster kids moving from home to home with all of their belongings stuffed into a single garbage bag, the Venturers of Helping Hands knew they had to do something to help. Their Venture, Helping Hands, has taken on the mission of working to ensure that these foster youth not only get real travel bags, but also some extra toys and games to help them get through the tough periods in life.

Hospital MagiciansHospital Magicians want to bring the joy of magic to sick children in hospitals. They hope to bring laughter and wonder to kids who are vulnerable and scared and may be undergoing medical treatment. Giving them a magical experience will take their minds off their fears and – most important – help them feel empowered.

Living With The RibbonThe members of Living with the Ribbon realize how financially difficult it can be for family members of cancer patients, having seen their own families go through the struggle. They hope to make life a little easier by donating gift cards and money to families in their community who are struggling in their day to day life.

M&M Up-cyclingUsing their passion to bring new life to used clothes, the girls from M & M’s Up-cycling plan on optimizing their skills to help the less fortunate living in North Central Massachusetts. Through donations of used clothes, they will “up-cycle” these items to make them look stylish and new and donate the clothes to various programs that help the underprivileged including Loaves and Fishes in Devens.

Special Needs AwarenessMotivated by a team member’s experience with a sibling with special needs, the members of the Venture Team, Special Needs Awareness, want to make sure that they can help as many kids with special needs as possible. They decided to support their mission by raising funds for the Paul Center, a camp out of Chelmsford which hosts camps and educational workshops for those with special needs and their families. The girls plan on raising money to help purchase items that are on The Paul Center’s wish list which will greatly benefit the experience of those who need the camp for support.

Special Olympics/Best BuddiesInspired by their own family members with mental and physical illnesses, the members of the Special Olympics Best Buddies Venture Team felt compelled to start their own venture to help fellow students with these disabilities in their own school. They decided to support these students at ASRMS by raising awareness and getting volunteers from the student body to support programs like the Special Olympics and the Best Buddies program.

Talent TrackersEach of the members of Talent Trackers are involved in different arts programs at their school. After seeing that their individual programs were in desperate need of support, they decided to join together and use their love for the arts to host an annual video contest to raise money to support each of these different programs.

Team M&MInspired by the work that the Relay for Life does each year, the Venture Team M&M decided to expand their Relay Team into the school. They plan on helping the American Cancer Society by not only walking in the Relay for Life in Gardner but by also selling homemade bracelets at this event, hosting a “Pink Out” dance and selling a “Pink” raffle basket at their school.

The Next DimensionThe Next Dimension would like to take their STEM department to the next level by purchasing a 3D printer. They believe that having a 3D printer will provide them with hands-on learning and will give them the skills and knowledge to use in real-world applications. The use for this printer is endless and will give them the opportunity to improve the competitiveness in their science and technology department.

The Wish VentureInspired by the many great stories of the “Make A Wish Foundation”, the girls of The Wish Venture wanted to get involved in a way that was unique to them. Realizing that their personal artistic talents in making jewelry and artistic portraits could be beneficial to this cause, the Team decided to sell their artwork within the community to raise funds for the “Make A Wish Foundation”. It is their hope that their work will be able to eventually raise enough to support one of the wishes of these kids solely through their own efforts.

2015 – 2016

Socks for LifeInspired by their fellow classmate who has Down Syndrome, the girls of Socks for Life have decided to take action to raise money and awareness in the community for this disease. The Socks for Life Venture has decided to support this great cause by fundraising for the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress and the National Down Syndrome Society, two nonprofits which work to advocate for those with Down Syndrome and provide resources for their advocates. The team will be raising money through the sale of rainbow colored socks and an annual spring egg hunt at Ayer Shirley Middle School.

Robotics and Programming ClubThe students of the Robotics and Programming Club at Ayer Shirley Middle School realized that their passion for computers gave them a skill set that they could use to help their classmates and the community. These students have created an after school computer club in which they educate their peers not only on how a computer operates and how to build their very own computer, but also helps them learn various programming skills such as HTML and Java. They will also be looking to expand their program to create an education program for the adults in the community who do not have any of the skills which these students now learn in school.

Sew Much HopeAfter one of their brothers was saved by the doctors and staff at Boston Children’s Hospital, the girls of Sew Much Hope decided they wanted to create a Venture which gives back to BCH and help many other families like their own. By using their passion and skills in sewing, these students are creating and selling sewn together accessories for their peer’s school supplies as well as working with local restaurants to raise money for the hospital. They hope that their fundraising efforts will not only help save more children’s lives, but that they will additionally raise awareness to the many diseases which are afflicting children today.

A Shoe For YouWhen one of their cousins came back from doing service work in Nicaragua, the girls of A Shoe For You learned that many of the families in Nicaragua cannot afford to pay for basic necessities including the clothing and shoes needed for kids to be able to go to school. Feeling that they needed to do something to help these children, the girls created this Venture Team to run regular clothing fundraisers to send to families in need and have already raised over two carloads of donations.

Lungs for LifeThe siblings of previous Venturers, the members of Lungs for Life wanted to follow in their footsteps by creating their own Venture. By combining their passion for soccer with their personal connection to Lung Cancer affecting their loved ones, these students created Lungs for Life, a school soccer tournament to raise money for lung cancer research. Their tournament raised over $150 dollars, assisting many students at ASRMS to develop a better understanding of this issue while helping put an end to lung cancer once and for all.

St. Jude’s HeroesInspired by the many stories of children affected by cancer, the girls of St. Jude’s Heroes decided it was time to do take a stand to try and put an end to this issue. As each of these Venturers have family members who have been affected by cancer, this is a cause that is close to their hearts. Together, these Venturers will be holding fundraisers and school-wide events to help not only raise money for this cause, but make sure this issue was an important one for all ASRMS students.

Pokeminer IndustriesAs lifelong fans of anime, cartooning, and video games, the students of this Venture know that there are many students who don’t realize that the skills involved in these passions can be crucial to many future careers. Together, the boys of Pokeminer Industries have started their own graphic arts club at ASRMS where they can not only share their passion with others of the same mindset, but help teach their peers the skills it takes to become skilled in graphic arts. They hope to inspire others and give them an avenue to share their passions so that all of their peers may discover a similar passion.

Improving Grades and Fun (IGAF)Hoping to motivate their peers to achieve more in the classroom, the students of Improving Grades and Fun have decided to create a new avenue of inspiration. Working with the school administration, these students want to create a greater celebration for honor roll and principal’s list recipients by providing them rewards beyond a simple certificate including a field day. It is their hope that with these extra incentives, more students will work harder in class thus improving their own lives, the lives of their teachers, and the standing of the whole school.

Page By PageAs constant visitors to the Shirley Public Library, the girls of Page by Page knew how important the library was to not just their own lives, but to the lives of the entire community. Seeing the impact the library has made, these girls have decided to help by bringing together the ASRMS community to make the library even better by collecting new books. They have decided to host regular book drives at the school so that the library can offer every resource possible to the community. If you have any new or gently used books, bring them on by!

Lend A PawThe girls of Lend A Paw were saddened to see the struggles that local animals go through as they sit and wait in the local shelters for their forever homes. To help these animals, this Team has focused their efforts to help raise money for the Volunteer Humane Society Cat Shelter in Lancaster, MA to get the cats food, blankets, and needed medicine. If you would like to help these girls efforts, make sure to buy some of the glow in the dark key chains or organic pet treats they will be selling around Ayer and Shirley!